Loose-leaf-binder frame.



PATENTED AUG, 1, 1905.

' F. GRIMMH.

. LOOSE LEAF BINDER FRAM No. 796,322. PATENTE'D mi, 1905.

11" RI v LOOSE LEAP BINDER FRAME,

VAIPLIOATION ELBDJUG. 24, 1903.

ANDREW. a. GRAHAM cu. Pnoru-umoom'ums, wAsmnGton. u. \:v

,of my improved leaf.

-- UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ALEXANDER A. WHAMOND, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF-BINIVIDIER FRAME.

To all whom itmcty concern:

Be it known that I, FRE ERICK GRIMME, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf-BinderFrames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to 'loose-leaf-binder frames for holding ledgerand other leaves, circulars, catalogues, &c. ;fand its object is toprovide a frame of simple. and inexpensive construction adapted toreceive and hold the leaves securely and evenly and permit them to beeasily inserted or removed. Further objects of the invention are toprovide a binder-frame with a round back and to cause the stub end oftheleaves to spring up like a spring-back book and the leaves to lieflatwhen the book is opened.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 shows the binder opened and with a number of leavesheld therein. Fig. 2 shows the binder in'position for inserting leaves.Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the binder. Fig. 4: is as ectional view onthe line I 10f Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end view of the binder without theleaves. .Figs. 6 and 7 areisectional views on the lines "6 6 and 7 7respectively, of'Fig. 3. Fig. Sis a detail view of a portion of thespring-roller. Fig. 9 shows a device on the end of the tape by means ofwhichthe tape is fastened to the roller. Fig. 10 shows the means forsupporting and 'securingone end of the'roller. Fig. 11 is a plan view ofapart Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 12 12 of Fig.11. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective view showing another form ofclamping-plate. Fig. 14 is an end view of a binder-frame, showing adifferent manner of securing the covers.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures, andre- 'ferring thereto 15 indicates the back of the frame,which is preferably providedyvith} a.

covering 16, of leather or other suitable material. This back is made ofresilient material, such as fiber board or spring-steel, and

t is formed in any suitable way into the shape of a round-back book. Iprefer to form the back into a half-circle, as illustrated in Fig. 5;but thedegree of curvature can be varied as'desired. A spring-roller 17is mountedin bearings within the back, these hearings be- Specificationof Letters Patent. Applicationfiled August 24,: 1903. Serial No.170,636-v Patented. Aug'. 1, 1905.

'ing shown in the drawings to be formed the upstanding ends 18 18 of aplate 19,'fa'stened ,to the back. One of"these1ends 18' is providedwitha slot'20 to receivev the project ing end of the axle 21, and the axleis sup ported and held in place by the locking-plate 22, Fig. 10. Oneend 23 of the axle is screw threaded to receive aikey 24:, Fig. 1,'bymeans of which the spring 25 of the roller can be wound up; butinsteadof this screw threaded connection of the key with the axle otherconstructions may be used, if preferred. I

do .not restrict myself to the use of any par ticular kind of springroller, as it will be ap-' parent that different varieties may be usedwith satisfactory results and without modifying the invention. A pawl 26is provided'on the end 18 to engage a ratchet 27 on theroller andprevent the spring from unwindih'ggthe engagement of the pawl with. theratchet be ing maintained by a spring-arm 28, fastened to the end 18 andbearing against a shoulder 29 on the pawl, Figs. 3, 5.

The leaves are adapted to be held on flexible tapes 30, of fabric,leather, or other suitable material, and each of these tapes travelsover a guide at one edge of the back and has one end fastened at theother edge of the back and its other end fastened to the spring-roller.Any suitable number'of these tapes may be employed, and I prefer toattach someof the tapesflat one edge of the back and some to the otheredge, so that they will travel in opposite directions from thespring-roller. At each edge of the back I provide rollers 31, mounted onclamping-plates; 32, and the ends of the tapes are attached to some ofthese rollers, while the others form guides over which the tapes travel.The covers 33 are hinged to the back by pivot-pins 34, arranged in lugs35 on the plates 32, and the hingeplates 36 on the covers, Fig. 3, andthe upper edge 32 of said plates 32 is inwardly directed or bent toengage and clamp the leaves, Figs. 6, 7. These clamping-plates may beformed of sheet metal pressed intoshape, as shown in Fig. 13, with lugs3 1 stamped up to form bearings for the rollers 31.] Instead of hing ingthe covers in themanner shown in Fig.3 I may secure pieces of cloth 33between the back 15 and the clam ping-plates 32 and secure the coversthereto in a manner familiar in the bookbinders art. This constructionis well adapted for small'binder-framesfor ing price-lists. The tapesmay be attached to the spring-roller in a variety of ways, and I haveshown a plate 37 Fig. 9, carried by the end of the tape and curved tofit the roller and provided with a headed projection 38, which isadapted to enter the transverse slot 39 in the hollow spring-roller,Fig. 8, and make locking engagement with the roller when turned intooperative position.

I prefer to employ a leaf 40 which has its stub end reduced in thicknessat 41 and scored at 42 and provided with T-slots 43 to receive thetapes,said sheet forming the subject-matter of my application, Serial N0. 170,637, filed on August .24, 1903. To enable the sheets to bereadily inserted in the back, I provide at each end of the frame aspreader 44, made in two parts and pivoted together at 45. Thesespreaders are pivoted at one end on the pins 34: at one side of theframe and are provided with sockets 46 at their other ends to engage thepins 34 at the other side of the frame, as indicated in broken lines inFig. 5. When the spreaders are not in use, they are held byspring-clasps 47 of any suitable character, and of course the spreadersneed not both be pivoted to the same side of the frame.

When it is desired to fill the frame with leaves, the spring-roller ispermitted to unwind sufliciently to reduce the tension of the tapes, andthe frame is preferably arranged in the position shown in Fig. 2. Theleaves can then be very easily arranged in proper position on the tapes,after which the springroller is wound up to the desired tension by meansof the key. As the back is made of resilient material, it will of coursebe necessary to spread the edges thereof apart at some times for thepurpose of removing or inserting leaves, and this is accomplished bymeans of the spreaders, which are arranged as shown in broken lines inFig. 5 and forced into the position shown in Fig. 2 to spread the backand hold it in extended position. This enables the leaves to be freelyinserted or removed, and when the spreaders are released thespring-roller is adjusted to clamp the back upon the leaves and draw thetapes taut and straight across the back from one edge to the otherthereof. I have found that fiber board constitutes a very satisfactorymaterial for the back, as it is inexpensive, light in weight, and can bereadily formed into the desired shape and will to a more or less extenthold the shape to which it is set. I do not depend upon the resiliencyof the back to clamp the leaves, but employ a spring-roller not only 1for thepurpose of holding the tapes, but also to clamp the back upon theleaves.

The binder-frames will be made of different sizes; but it will bereadily understood that each frame is capable of adjustment to hold agreater or less number of leavesthat is to say, a binder of the sizeindicated in the drawings, for example, can be reduced in size to hold acomparatively few leaves by winding up the spring-roller suificiently toclamp the edges of the back upon the leaves, or, on the other hand, theback can be extended by means of the spreaders to receive as many leavesas can be arranged on the tapes, and in both cases the binder will holdthe leaves evenly andproperly in place. Thus it will not be necessaryalways to use the spreaders in inserting or removing leaves, as at sometimes when a comparatively few leaves are in the binder it will besufiicient to simply lessen the tension of the tapes.

My improved binder is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, and easy to operate. It is susceptible of various changesand modifications which I reserve the right to make; and it consists,essentially, of a single back capable of being extended or contractedand a single spring-roller to operate the tapes which connect the edgesof the back and carry the leaves. When the binder is opened, the stubend of the leaves will spring up in the position shown in Fig. 1, andthe leaves will lie flat, so that entries may be made thereon close tothe bound edges. My improved leaf is especially adapted for use withbinders of this kind, because the stub end of a book made with suchleaves is capable of being compressed toless thickness than the majorpart of the book, and when the book is opened the stub end will springup and the leaves will lie flat and close together at the bends thereinwithout spreading and exposing the tapes, Fig. 1.

Without limiting myself to the exact construction and arrangement ofparts herein shown and described, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A binder-frame for loose-leaf books comprising a one-part round backmade of resilient fiber board, and means carried by the back for holdingthe leaves and clamping the edges of the back thereon.

2. A binder-frame for loose-leaf books comprising a round back made ofresilient fiber board and means connecting the edges of the back andholding the leaves, said means being flexible to permit the leaves tospring outaway from the back when the book is opened.

3. A binder-frame comprising a round back made of resilient material,tapes connected with the edges of said back to receive and hold thesheets, and rotatable means for drawing the tapes taut and clamping theedges of the back upon the sheets.

4. A binder-frame comprising a back made in one piece of resilientmaterial, tapes connected with the edges of said back to receive andhold the sheets, and a spring-roller for drawing the tapes taut andclamping the edges of the back upon the sheets.

5. A binder-frame comprising a back, a spring-roller located within saidback at or about its center, and tapes fastened to said connected to theedges of said back, a spreader pivoted at or about its middle, one endof said spreader being pivoted at one edge of the back and the other endof the spreader being adapted to engage the other edge of the back, anda clasp on one of the covers to hold the spreader When not in use.

FREDERICK GRIMM'E; Witnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, ALEX A. WHAMOND.

